More Important Things
by Mac-alicious
Summary: Tess needed to learn that there were more important things in life than a career or fame, otherwise Nate wouldn't be able to stay.


**A/N: **This is obviously a future-fic. A little Ness-family-ness for you. And about the end, obviously it doesn't mean happily ever after right then and there. I know it would take a lot of effort to set things right. But what happens in the end is the first stepping stone toward that. Anyway, enjoy! R&R! Thanks! –Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Camp Rock nor do I own the lyrics to the lullaby at the very bottom there. I got it off of some baby-parenting site. I don't remember what it was called or anything, but it had a bunch of different lullabies on it and I plucked that one right off it. :D

**More Important Things**

"You're turning into your mother," Nate spat.

Tess spun around to face him, "Excuse me?"

"You're never home," Nate started, "and when you are you're either on the phone or locked in our room."

"I'm sorry that I still have a career and you don't," Tess scoffed.

"You're not a twenty-something pop star anymore, Tess. And I _chose_ to retire, because to me there are things that are more important than fame and fortune. You're a mother and a wife. You need to start acting like it."

"How dare you!" Tess flew at him.

She had every intention to hit him, but he caught her wrists before she could. He stared her right in the eyes as he said, "Look at you. You're a sad excuse for the woman I fell in love with."

"Then why are you still with me?" Tess questioned angrily.

"I don't know," Nate let go of her wrists, letting them fall back to her sides. "I just don't know anymore."

"Then leave!" Tess screeched, "Go. Get out!"

"I should," Nate responded.

"Why are you still here?" Tess put both of her hands on his chest and shoved. "_Leave_."

Nate stopped himself from stumbling backwards too far. They stood staring at each other silently for a long time, then Nate spoke, a regretful sense of finality in his voice, "Is this really what you want Tess? With how long we've been together, all we've been through? Ten years of marriage, two kids…you want to throw it all away? Is that what you want?"

"I've never wanted something more in my entire life," Tess replied evenly.

Suddenly there was a wail from the doorway and two pairs of hands wrapped themselves around Nate's legs, "No, don't leave Daddy! Don't leave!"

Nate locked his gaze on Tess's and shook his head disapprovingly. He then bent down to be level with his children. They sat in front of him, faces scrunched up in quivering pouts and tears falling unchecked from their eyes. He took a moment to wipe away a few stray tears from both their eyes.

"Hey," Nate said softly, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Bu-bu-but Mommy just saaidd!" His oldest, Maddy, cried.

"I promise you I will never leave you," Nate spoke firmly and, with a sniff, Maddy nodded. "You two are supposed to be in bed."

"You started yelling and we couldn't sleep," His younger daughter, Grace replied, yawning softly.

"There's not going to be anymore yelling tonight," Nate responded, "So, let's get you back to bed."

Nate gathered Grace into his arms and took Maddy's hand to lead her out of the room. As he walked out with their daughters, Tess staggered backwards and collapsed on the edge of their bed. She cradled her face in her hands and cried harder than she ever had before in her entire life.

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_After high school, Tess Tyler had no trouble getting a record contract. She enrolled in college because the label thought it would be good for her image, but after a semester she dropped out to focus _all_ her time and energy on her music career. After all, her dream had always been to be a famous recording artist. Why waste her time when she already had the opportunity to seize that dream right in front of her?_

_So she recorded her debut album without any distractions. Her first single hit the radio and over night she was almost as big of a star as her mother. She went on a small tour, made a considerable amount of money, and got her contract bought out by an even better record label—the same label currently backing Connect 3 and Mitchie Torres. Tess went back into the studio to produce an even better sophomore album. As her new single gained major playing time on the radio, the label booked her on a compilation tour with its other two top-selling artists. It was the first time she had seen the three boys or Mitchie in person since that year at Camp Rock. She had heard that Mitchie, along with the Connect 3 boys, had returned to Camp Rock but she hadn't been there to witness the fun. Her mother refused to send her back after her little mishap on stage. They were familiar faces, but initially, it was a reunion of convenience._

_As the weeks of the tour passed, she gradually befriended the people she was touring with—thought it was still somewhat out of convenience. Mitchie was the only other girl on the tour with them, so she and Tess quickly bonded in order to counter the testosterone of Connect 3. Tess thought maybe forming a relationship with one of the band members would be good publicity. It didn't take long for her to figure out that Shane Grey had already been claimed by Mitchie, and as far as Tess could tell Jason had a girl back home—or at least he was constantly texting, calling or emailing _someone_. She started spending more time with Nate._

_At first it was, again, convenient, but then she found she actually genuinely liked him. In their free time, he would take her out to dinner or to a movie—where they would sit in the back row of a darkened theater and hope no one recognized them. He was the first boy—_man_—to treat her with such gentle respect. And she loved it._

_She loved _him.

_Tess realized that suddenly one night near the end of the tour as she was climbing off the tour bus to enter a venue for sound check. She had stopped in her tracks on the bottom step of the bus. Her eyes widened and she didn't even hear Jason's complaint about her blocking the way come from behind her. Then she was thrust back to reality and she took off at a run toward Nate. He turned around to ask her what was wrong and was caught off guard by her jumping into his arms to kiss him soundly. Some of the paparazzi lining the fence, around the bus loading and unloading zone, caught the moment on film. Just like that, their relationship was public._

_They spent two years dating in the public spotlight, before Nate proposed. They were engaged for a year, and finally tied the knot in a spring wedding. It was around that time that Connect 3 decided to retire. Nate was more than ready to settle down and start a family. By then Shane and Mitchie had been married a year and were expecting their first child. The three boys were ready to fade into the background, getting by with songwriting for other artists and producing a bit. Tess, however, still craved the spotlight. So for the first couple years of their marriage, Nate was content to stand backstage and watch his wife perform._

_She put her career on hold for awhile when she got pregnant with Maddy. Grace didn't come too long after. Maddy was just two when Grace was born. Tess's return to the spotlight was postponed further. But once Grace was walking and talking, Tess was back in the studio. Now she was a more mature, sophisticated, _adult_ artist. Nate thought they would be fine. He hoped Tess would be able to find a balance between her career and celebrity, and her family. He should have seen the end coming when she agreed to a full headlining tour and missed Maddy's first day of kindergarten._

_It was all downhill from there. Tess was so obsessed with being a star and Nate just wanted to hold his family together. Nate had seen Tess at her best—and he wasn't considering her career in his appraisal. To him, Tess had shined the brightest when she was holding their daughters. There were moments right after Maddy was born, when Tess would hold her in her arms and sing to her a gentle lullaby Nate had taught her. It was the lullaby Nate's mother had sung to him when he was little. He would stand in the doorway to the nursery and just watch as Tess rocked Maddy to sleep. It was a sight he could have watched for hours. Then, in the few months after Grace was born, before Tess went back to work, although more rare, there were moments when she would cradle Grace. Maddy would sit staring over Tess's shoulder at her baby sister. At two and a half, she had her mother's golden hair in his unruly curls. Grace already had the smatterings of his dark hair. Those were his perfect moments. His family was his most important treasure. _

_Tess began to make it clear that hers was her career. _

_Nate tried to make her see that there were more important things. He pleaded with her because their daughters needed their mother in their lives. But she wouldn't see reason. Their daughters were growing up without her. And he had a front row seat to watch Tess turn into the same kind of woman as her mother. Tess had despised her mother for years for not being there when she needed her. Nate had tried his hardest to show her that she was going to have the same relationship with her daughters. But she obviously couldn't see past the glitter and glamour of the celebrity life. So they had reached a stand still._

_There were cracks in their relationship, that was for sure, but Nate truly believed if Tess would just try they could fix things. She hadn't left any irreparable damage yet, but she was close to doing so. If he couldn't get her to see things clearly, then he knew it would all be over. But he wasn't ready to lose hope yet. He wasn't ready to give up on her. _

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When Tess was finally able to pull herself together, she realized the mistake she had almost made. Her heart ached at the mere idea of Nate leaving her. And the way her daughters had cried, nearly killed her with guilt. She knew she had to do something to fix it before it was too late and she lost everything that ever meant anything real to her.

She found Nate in Grace's room, sitting on the edge of her bed. He was softly stroking her hair and singing her that lullaby as she slowly fell asleep. Tess crept into the room quietly. She knelt beside the bed and rested her head upon Nate's knee. Without hesitation, his free hand began to stroke her hair in time with Grace's.

"I'm sorry," Tess whispered. "I'm _so_ sorry. I'll change. I'll be better. I can't lose you. I can't lose them. You're the most important things in my life. I should have realized it sooner. I'll do anything to make things right. I love you. I love you. _I love you_."

Her words became a mumbled mantra as Nate pulled her into his arms. He kissed her head and held her tight. Everything was going to be okay. And the words of the lullaby meant so much more that night.

"_Golden slumber kiss your eyes,_

_Smiles await you when you rise,_

_Sleep,_

_Pretty baby,_

_Do not cry,_

_And I'll sing you a lullaby._

_Care you know not, _

_Therefore sleep,_

_While I o'er you watch do keep,_

_Sleep,_

_Pretty darling,_

_Do not cry,_

_And I will sing a lullaby."_


End file.
